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Drone Rules for Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge
Eagle Lake, Texas (TX)
• United States
1206 Apc Nwr Rd, Eagle Lake, TX 77434, USA
Lat: 29.6677 • Lng: -96.2669
Rules Edit History: Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge
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May 30, 2026 7:48 AM
Approved
• Added USFWS drone prohibition for Attwater's Prairie Chicken NWR with sub-100-individual population, lek display disturbance, and Recovery Team approval context.
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Approved
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Your proposed edit detailing the drone prohibition at Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge has been approved. This aligns with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations prohibiting drone operations within the refuge. The added context enhances understanding of the area's drone flight considerations. The outline has been updated to accurately represent the restricted area.
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| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | Unknown | NoFly |
| Summary | — | USFWS prohibits drones on Attwater's Prairie Chicken NWR. The refuge maintains the only captive-and-wild managed population of Attwater's prairie chicken, one of the most endangered birds in North America. |
| Mapped shapes | — | f3b9d6c9-04ca-4e7f-912c-5c09d5fe2a8a |
Before
After
## Drone Rules - Attwater's Prairie Chicken NWR, Texas **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210 and ESA Section 9 for Attwater's prairie chicken (critically endangered). ### Airspace / Site Context - Fewer than 100 wild Attwater's prairie chickens exist; the booming lek displays (February-April) are critical for breeding success - Drone noise during lek display disrupts booming competition; males that flush mid-display have reduced breeding success in subsequent seasons - Houston Hobby (HOU) Class C is ~55 NM east; Austin Bergstrom (AUS) Class C is ~80 NM west; local airspace Class G ### Key Rules - February-April lek season: USFWS maintains no-entry/no-fly buffer of 0.5 miles around occupied boom grounds - Captive-reared bird release program involves telemetered birds; USFWS recovery coordinator must be notified before any airspace use near the refuge - USFWS Special Use Permit required; all research involving this species requires USFWS Attwater's Prairie Chicken Recovery Team approval ### Source - USFWS Attwater's Prairie Chicken NWR: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/attwater-prairie-chicken
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+ ## Drone Rules - Attwater's Prairie Chicken NWR, Texas + + **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210 and ESA Section 9 for Attwater's prairie chicken (critically endangered). + + ### Airspace / Site Context + - Fewer than 100 wild Attwater's prairie chickens exist; the booming lek displays (February-April) are critical for breeding success + - Drone noise during lek display disrupts booming competition; males that flush mid-display have reduced breeding success in subsequent seasons + - Houston Hobby (HOU) Class C is ~55 NM east; Austin Bergstrom (AUS) Class C is ~80 NM west; local airspace Class G + + ### Key Rules + - February-April lek season: USFWS maintains no-entry/no-fly buffer of 0.5 miles around occupied boom grounds + - Captive-reared bird release program involves telemetered birds; USFWS recovery coordinator must be notified before any airspace use near the refuge + - USFWS Special Use Permit required; all research involving this species requires USFWS Attwater's Prairie Chicken Recovery Team approval + + ### Source + - USFWS Attwater's Prairie Chicken NWR: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/attwater-prairie-chicken +